It’s time for performance evaluation for most companies. While it is usually a very exhausting and stressful time for leaders, team members also suffer. Only 14% of employees are inspired by their performance reviews. Taking feedback positively, as a normal part of career growth, is not easy, considering you may expect something different or not agree at all. Depending on how the feedback is delivered, some managers can even make good news seem daunting.
Original article posted by Lucy Paulise @ Forbes
Especially if you are working remotely, sometimes emails, slacks and chats replace a good conversation and may not be very clear on what is it that needs to be done. Is it on your side to change, or is it your boss that is mistaken? While you may not be able to change your manager or how they evaluate you, you can choose to separate the “what” from the “who” and “how”, ask for more information and look for productive ways to improve.
Reacting positively to feedback
Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone recommend six steps to accept and act on your performance review comments.
1. Know your tendencies
Do you take every comment personally? Do you hate yourself when an improvement is suggested? Do you blame the messenger? Is it always someone else’s fault? Try to remember what happened in previous evaluations and identify what could help you filter what you receive to get something you can work on.
2. Disentangle the “what” from the “who”
Separate the message from the messenger. 360-degree reviews also help to normalize comments and identify trends. If there are similar comments in different reviews from different people, there might be something real to work on there.
3. Evaluation and coaching
While evaluations with ratings are more accurate, they may not be enough to help you improve. Do not get fixated on the extremes: the worst or best marks, and do not get stuck in the numbers. Look for the average to see where you stand, and ask for coaching on how to get better.
4. Unpack the feedback
Try to understand the feedback and ask for examples or recent behaviors before rejecting or accepting the feedback. There is nothing wrong with asking clarifying questions to understand exactly where the problem is.
5. Ask for just one thing
You don’t need to wait for the annual performance review to get some feedback. Ask others who work with you where you could improve. You could do it in your one-on-ones, after a retrospective, or during a casual encounter. The HBR article highlights that “Soliciting constructive criticism communicates humility, respect, passion for excellence, and confidence, all in one go.”
6. Engage in small experiments
If you are not sure if the advice could be worth it, test it out. The authors recommend: “If it works, great. If it doesn’t, you can try again, tweak your approach, or decide to end the experiment.”
No matter who is providing the feedback, you can always find coaching nuggets to take home and implement on Monday. While criticism is never easy to accept, you have to be thankful for honesty and transparency. No feedback at all doesn’t mean that there is nothing to improve, so never underestimate some words of advice.
